Children's books and activities
Money
Do you know any young entrepreneurs or history buffs who are curious about the history of our currency? We've gathered up a great collection of books, activities, apps, and websites for learning all about financial literacy and money.
Try pairing fiction with nonfiction books and exploring different genres (like poetry and biographies) and formats (like graphic novels and audio books). You'll be creating your own "text sets" — collections of texts focused on a specific topic, such as money and financial literacy. Reading widely in this way helps children build background knowledge, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.
Great Fiction & Nonfiction Books
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Print List
Bunny Money
By: Rosemary Wells
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Earn It!
By: Cinders MCleod
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Fiction
Carrots are money in Bunnyland. Bun, a young rabbit, earns carrots for helping her mother with...
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat
By: Simms Taback
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Fiction
Lemonade in Winter
By: Emily Jenkins
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Money Madness
By: David Adler
Age Level: 3-6 years old
One Proud Penny
By: Randy Siegel
Age Level: 3-6 years old
The humble and sometimes abused copper penny tells its own story in this humorous combination of...
Save It!
By: Cinders MCleod
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Fiction
A little bunny learns about the power and satisfaction that come with saving money. Honey earns...
Spend It!
By: Cinders MCleod
Age Level: 3-6 years old
Fiction
A charming introduction to simple money concepts in which a bunny learns he can't buy everything...
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Print List
Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday
By: Judith Viorst
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Follow the Money!
By: Loreen Leedy
Age Level: 6-9 years old
If You Made a Million
By: David M. Schwartz
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Concept Book
Have you ever wanted to make a million dollars? Marvelosissimo the Mathematical Magician is...
Lemonade for Sale
By: Stuart Murphy
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Money Math: Addition and Subtraction
By: David A. Adler
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Cartoon versions of American presidents guide children through this lively introduction to...
Mulani Moneybags Starts a Business
By: Kelly Wallace, Mulani Ellington
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Fiction
Nine-year-old Mulani Moneybags is inspired after learning about entrepreneurship and decides to...
One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference
By: Kate Smith Milway
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Fiction
This fictionalized story of Kojo, a boy from Ghana, who changes his world with a small loan and...
Sam and the Lucky Money
By: Karen Chinn
Age Level: 6-9 years old
Fiction
During Chinese New Year, a young boy encounters a homeless person and discovers that no gift is...
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Print List
Double Fudge
By: Judy Blume
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Finance 101 for Kids
By: Walter Andal
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Concept Book
One of the most important lessons that you can teach your kids is how to handle their money. In...
Grandpa’s Fortune Fables: Fun Stories to Teach Kids About Money
By: Will Rainey
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Concept Book
Grandpa’s adventures to the faraway island of Pucha-Pucha helped him to see money like seeds....
Lawn Boy
By: Gary Paulson
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Mr. Chickee's Funny Money
By: Christopher Paul Curtis
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Rare Beasts
By: Charles Ogden
Age Level: 9-12 years old
The Everything Kids’ Money Book
By: Brette Sember
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Concept Book
Saving money isn’t about a piggy bank anymore. Today’s kids are investing money, starting their...
The History of Money: From Bartering to Banking
By: Martin Jenkins
Age Level: 9-12 years old
The Lemonade War
By: Jacqueline Davies
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Fiction
With just five days left of summer vacation, Evan and Jessie launch an all-out war to see who...
The Story of Money
By: Betsy Maestro
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Nonfiction
Twenty-Two Cents: Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank
By: Paula Yoo
Age Level: 9-12 years old
Hands-on Activities
Build on what you're learning together through books with these family-friendly activities, experiments, and crafts.
Great Websites for Kids
Dive deeper into topics of interest with these media-rich and interactive sites.
-
American Currency Exhibit
-
Brain Pop: Economics
-
Budget Hero
-
Change Maker
-
Design Your Own Money
-
Discover Historic U.S. Currency
-
Escape from Barter Islands
-
Explore Money from Around the World
-
Fifty Nifty Econ Cards
-
Get Real: Life and Economics
-
HIP Pocket Change: U.S. Mint for Kids
-
How Coins Are Made
-
How Coins Are Minted
-
How Old Is Your Penny?
-
Ice Cream Truck
-
Kids and Money
-
Learning to Give: Spend, Save, Invest, or Donate
-
Making Change: Coin Design
-
Money as You Grow
-
Moneyville
-
Run Your Own Lemonade Stand
-
Saving and Spending
-
Savings Quest
-
Symbols on American Money
-
The Mint
-
TreasuryDirect Kids
-
Tykoon
-
U.S. Currency Education Program
Great Podcasts for Kids
Listen and learn with these podcasts especially for kids. These podcasts are free and easy to listen to from any device via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher — or from Listen Notes, a podcast search engine.
-
Money with Mak and G
Ben Jones -
Million Bazillion
Marketplace
Educational Apps
Educational apps recommended by Common Sense Media and other trusted reviewers.
More Themed Resources
Growing Readers Tip Sheets
Simple activities for parents and kids to do together to build reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. Read online or print the PDF.
-
Creating Bar Charts
Download PDF: English | Spanish -
Patterns and Categorizing
Download PDF: English | Spanish
Washington DC for Kids
